History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c12.25

v1.c12.25

We have thus far elucidated the civil administration in a kingdom as it existed in the 7th century. The unit was the village with its head-man अक्षपलिक or महत्तर and its registrar the करणिक. The Vishaya or Taluka consisted of a certain number of villages and there were officers for each Taluka. These were विषयपति, the चौरोंद्धरणिक and the दण्डनायक. Similar officers were appointed to the Bhukti or District, and there were chief officers for the whole state who were called महाक्षपलिक, महादण्डनायक and so on. These officers were paid by the assignment of certain lands or villages or towns even as their grade rose higher. The Manu Smriti provides that the grāmika (headman) should get for the year what the king gets for one day and the head of a hundred villages should get one whole village for his pay and of a thousand, one town. (यानि राजप्रदेयानि प्रत्यहं ग्रामवासिभिः। अन्यान्येन्धनादीनि ग्रामिकस्तानवाप्नुयात्॥ ग्रामं ग्रामशाताध्यक्षः सहस्राधिपातः पुरम्॥7, 118, 119.) This direction appears to have still been in force in the 7th century as Hiuen Tsang records "that ministers of state and common officers all have their portion of land and are maintained by the cities assigned to them."